It's no longer true that women in the Australian Church are seen but not heard, according to Parramatta Social Justice Program Coordinator Sr Libby Rogerson IBVM. She urged women attending a recent Parliament House luncheon organised by the group WATAC that they should maintain their confidence in the belief that women make a strong difference to the life of the Church.
"Women with theology degrees outnumber men. Women with families provide insights into how the Church can respond to the young," she said. "In the past few weeks we have had women speaking out about the role of women. My hope is that when the report on the participation of women in the Church is published the voice of women will be heard as part of the fabric of the Church."
She asked women to support those who have the courage to speak their mind. "We have to be aware of the tendency for women to shoot the strong articulate messenger. We need to support these messengers. We must work against the diminution of ourselves."
Sr Rogerson put the role of women firmly in the context of the Church's mission. "Having a voice in the Church is not an end in itself. It is a means for women to speak about justice, love and the Gospel," she said.